Smyrna times., 1887-04-20
Another View of the Basket Question.

The following extract from a person.
al note OF prominent peach grower of
new castle county, presents still an
other idea on the basket question: ::
In reading the proceedings of Satur-
days meeting as presented in the TIMES.
notice that prominence is given to a
statement made by Mr.. Money. in re-
gard to certain commission men being
willing to accept 5 per cent. net com
mission If the baskets are not guaran-
teed. In 1871 an arrangement was ef
tected in Philadelphia to add Q per
cent. to their usual rates of 5 per cent
commission to guarantee baskets, as it
was then claimed that per cent. was
the usual charge in New York for that
particular service. The rate has now
been changed in Philadelphia and |
have always understood the same to be
true OF New York, and others markets
AS 3 per cent. is the uniform allowance
to local shipping agents and growers
who ship and locally represent their
own interests, B per cent. net then has
always been the commissions, and Mr..
Moneys offer is neither generous nor
unusual.
Few II any shippers who make their
own shipping and other marketing ar
rangements have ever in anv mar
ket paid more than per cent. or had
any trouble in regard to the return or
pay for bOskets. Much of the trouble.
as Governor Biggs explained to vou'
mas resulted from the acts of local
agents who engage car lots, and larger
growers, who also command full cars
having shipped In those cars smaller
lots consigned to the agents of said
shippers, with whom they divide the
commissions, and between whom the
small shippers loose the baskets. This.
however, is an old complaint-but
whatever may be said as to Biggs'
Judgement as to judicial and other an
polnsments, his head is level on peaches.
and no man in the State is better ac-
quainted with the details of the bust
ness than he.
For some years after 1871 and even
yet, it is an open question with Phila-
delphia shippers as to which was the
better arrangement, the per cent or
the per cent. including guarantee
and there is no question now at issue
that has not been thoroughly discussed
in years past, and when a lost basket
was worth more than double the pres
ent price. It is fact long established
by experience than fruit will bring
more with than than without the has.
ket, and if the commission man is
made responsible for the basket nat
urally he will save the basket if he has
to take less for the fruit. Assuming
the baskets are not guaranteed and the
2 per cent. necessarily remitted. with
the gross sales in New York, at rs cents
per basket, 2 per cent. less commission.
Sl.5O cents, to which add cent less for
return on empties, $3.50 cents or one
half the the allowance for basket. Fruit
would only have to bring D cents more
lUtth the basket to make good the loss.
80 far as my interests and preference
are concerned l would on the above
bases let the baskets 90, $50 where is
the gift basket.")
As previOuly stated nothing new has
been offered or developed as these are
all old issues raised and discussed wav
back and without wishing to be criti-
cal, ] will say that they have been
neither ably or fairly presented at any
OF your town meetings.